Everything In Between
by Shiny Jewel
Summary: Small one-shots of random moments in the future of the Jaymes/Claybourne/Conrad family.
1. Chapter 1

**_Authors Note: Shout-out to headtrip parade who inspired me with her wonderful drabbles to try some shorter, random snippets that were floating around in my head, and an extra special thank you to KarenES for her excellent suggestions and thorough beta reading! These small pieces are unrelated, though they all take place at some point in the future. I plan on adding to them with another few installments - so stay tuned for more :) _**

**Truth**

Rayna sucked in a shaky breath, glancing down at the newspapers and gossip magazines spread out on the marble of the kitchen island. It was obvious that looking at them would only make her feel worse, but somehow she still couldn't stop herself.

Once the story had leaked online, she had known it would only be a matter of time before the endless flood of press began. Hurtful and embarrassing speculations scattered the pages, each one only slightly different than the next. Not only herself, but two of the people she loved most in the world were being dragged through the mud; completely undeserving of all the scrutiny that would continue to invade their lives until the tabloids had a bigger scandal to talk about.

Life for the past few days had been a blur. Rayna could barely leave home to get a cup of coffee without encountering a hoard of paparazzi with their flashing bulbs and provocative questions. They were hot on Deacon's trail as well, shoving cameras in his face when they caught him out in public, clearly hoping to get a rise out of him so they'd have a newsworthy outburst to add to their "exclusive" stories. Tabloid photographers camped out at Maddie and Daphne's school, determined to snap a photo of the just-discovered love child of Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne. They became so disruptive that a full security detail was now necessary to escort the girls in and out of the building.

To say this whole thing was a complete nightmare would be putting it lightly.

Yesterday, Bucky had brought in Rayna's publicist and her team to see what could be done in the way of damage control, and they had strongly advised her to give an interview, or at the very least put out a statement to the press acknowledging the situation. She knew they were right, but a frozen, paralyzed feeling consumed her. She was still in shock and disbelief that the entire world now knew about the lie, the one she had buried so deep inside of herself that after a while, it hadn't even felt like a lie anymore.

Despite Rayna's desire to crawl into a hole and hide, it quickly became clear she had to do something, if not for her own sake, for the two people who never asked to be a part of all of this: Maddie and Deacon. This morning, she'd finally agreed to do an exclusive interview with Katie Couric. It was happening via satellite from her living room in an hour.

Glancing back down at the kitchen counter, tears sprang to Rayna's eyes as they roved over the particularly harsh title the editors of US Weekly had given her.

_Queen of Lies_

She laughed bitterly to herself, realizing she couldn't argue it wasn't true.

Her deception might have started with the pure intention of protecting her child; going with what seemed to be her most appealing option among the other crappy or just plain risky ones she had to choose from at the time. But, the fact that it had continued long after Deacon had gotten his act together made her actions no different than her father's. Or her ex-husband's or her sister's, for that matter. They all shared a habit of avoiding the truth to squelch undesirable situations, with no concern for who they might hurt in the process.

Lost in her thoughts, Rayna startled at the sound of footsteps behind her. She turned to see Deacon lingering awkwardly at the entrance of the kitchen, holding a takeout tray with two large coffees.

She was surprised to see him. He'd understandably been keeping his distance since the news broke, with the exception of a few texts and phone calls to check in and see how Maddie was doing. She had left him a message earlier that morning telling him about the Katie Couric interview and letting him know that he was welcome to be present and participate if he wanted, but not obligated by any means. She felt terrible that he'd had to endure the embarrassing media attention and assumed that he was probably furious at her. It was an understatement to say that they needed to talk, but she honestly didn't even know where to begin.

He cocked his head toward the front door of the house. "Buck let me in, hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not," she replied quietly, giving him a weak smile. Rayna picked up one of the magazines in front of her and quickly tossed it back down with disgust. "Just reading some of this quality journalism over here."

Deacon snorted and shook his head. "I say you use that as a coaster." He walked over and gently set the tray down on the counter, pulling out a coffee and handing the cup to her. "I thought you might need this."

"Thank you," she said, accepting it gratefully. Rayna took a sip and couldn't help but feel comforted by the taste of the bittersweet beverage and the fact that Deacon still knew exactly the way she liked her coffee: Black with no less than three packets of sugar. Even though she tried to eat as cleanly as possible, this was one place she refused to sacrifice.

Deacon looked at Rayna, his eyes full of concern, watching as she grasped her cup and stared off into space.

"Ray..." He paused and ran a hand over his face. "You know you don't have to do this, right?"

"Yes I do."

He drew in a breath, exhaling loudly in frustration. "To hell with those PR people, Ray," he huffed, gesturing wildly, as he did when he was fired up about something. "And the public for that matter. You don't owe anyone an explanation for anything. It just ain't their business."

"I wish it were that easy Deacon, but we both know they're not going to leave us alone until I say something." Rayna sighed, a feeling of resignation and even relief suddenly washing over her. She put down her cup and turned to look him square in the face, the intensity of her glare startling him a little bit. "And I think it's about time I told the truth, don't you?"

**Beauty**

"There you go!" Maddie said, a triumphant note in her voice as she tightened the silk fabric of Deacon's black tie against the stiff white collar of his shirt.

He turned to examine his reflection in the large antique mirror on the wall of the master bedroom. Then he whirled around and smiled at his daughter, impressed.

"Where'd you learn that?"

Maddie shrugged. "I saw mom doing it once and asked her to show me how. She said it's a good skill to have, especially if I marry someone who hates to dress up."

Deacon smirked, knowing full well who Rayna had been referring to with that statement. He'd always resisted formal wear, which had never really been a problem since country music attire consisted mostly of cowboy boots and denim, even at the most prestigious awards shows.

Tonight, however, was the CMA's, and his first nomination as a solo artist. When Rayna had suggested stepping it up in the fashion department and wearing something a little more special, he'd been reluctant at first, but she'd helped him find the perfect compromise; an ensemble that didn't completely betray his signature low-key style and, according to her, made him look, "Pretty damn sexy."

On his feet were a pair of his tried-and-true black Lucchese boots, but in place of the dark jeans and sport jacket he usually wore was a dark gray tuxedo.

He had to admit, he didn't hate it.

Deacon glanced in the mirror once more, running a hand through his hair and straightening his tie. He sat down on the bench at Rayna's vanity facing Maddie, who had perched herself at the foot of her parents' neatly made king-sized bed.

"I really think you're going to win," Maddie said confidently.

Deacon bounced his knee nervously and smiled. "Yeah? You really think so?"

She nodded emphatically. "But even if you don't, it's so awesome you were even nominated."

He chuckled, touched by Maddie's sweet attempt to ease his nerves. "You give a good pep talk, you know that?"

Deacon stood up and looked at the clock. They had to get going in the next five minutes if they wanted to try and avoid getting stuck in a massive traffic jam. Rayna had disappeared into one of the guest bedrooms with her "glam squad" nearly three hours ago and he hadn't seen nor heard from her since.

"I wonder if my date is done with her beautification process yet. Hope she doesn't stand me up."

Maddie smiled widely at him as a familiar voice came from the doorway.

"I'd never do that."

The second Deacon took sight of Rayna, his breath caught in his throat. Her signature red waves cascaded over her bare shoulders and the tight, deep green strapless dress she was wearing would no doubt having him thinking all night about what he wanted to do to her once they got home. She was truly the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen, something he found to be true whether she was all glammed up in a sexy dress or sitting next to him on the couch in an old t-shirt and a pair of his boxers with no makeup, hair tossed up in a messy bun on top of her head.

"You look so beautiful, mom!" Maddie exclaimed, her eyes shining with admiration. She hopped off the bed and rushed over to her mother to get a closer look at the dress.

Deacon's eyes met Rayna's with an intense look that made her knees weaken a little.

"She sure does," he said.

**Get Out of Jail Free**

It was 2 a.m. when Rayna's head jerked up from where it had been nestled snugly in the crook of Deacon's arm, a strange noise from downstairs startling her awake from a peaceful sleep. Her heart pounded in her chest as she lay quietly in the dark and strained to pinpoint what it was.

The house they had purchased last year had been completely renovated with state-of-the-art everything, but it was built in the early 1900's and still had quirks like creaky floorboards. They had a top-of-the-line security system, but she'd heard a story just last week about a home in their upscale Brentwood neighborhood that had been broken into through a living room window.

She propped herself up on her elbow and waited. A second later she heard the noise again.

Rayna looked down at Deacon, who was passed out cold on his back. Unlike her, who woke at the sound of a pin dropping, he slept like the dead.

"Hey," she whispered, lightly nudging his bare chest with her finger.

"Mhmmm Ray," he murmured in his sleep, reaching for her body and tugging her gently back down toward his chest.

She squirmed out of his grasp. "Babe," she tried again, this time at a slightly louder volume.

When there was no response, Rayna shook his arm forcefully. "Deacon!" she hissed.

"What's going on?" he mumbled sleepily, his eyes fluttering open with confusion. "You okay?"

"I heard a noise. Downstairs."

He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "What kind of noise, Ray?"

"I don't know…I mean…it could be nothing…but…"

Deacon sighed, feeling around under the covers for his boxers that had been discarded in a passionate frenzy a few hours earlier and pulled them on. He threw back the sheets and reached under the bed to extract the baseball bat he stored under there. If Rayna hadn't been so freaked out, she would have taken a moment to ridicule Deacon's old-school approach to defending the family home.

"Just stay there, don't move," he told her authoritatively.

She nodded, gripping the comforter and shifting herself to a sitting position up against the headboard of the bed.

Deacon tiptoed down the staircase quietly and carefully, his eyes wide open for any sign of an intruder.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he quickly flipped on the light in the entry hall and looked around.

_Nothing._

Deacon continued to creep toward the living room and had only taken a few steps when he heard it: A soft thump followed by a rustling noise.

He sped up immediately and headed straight for where the sound was coming from, gripping the bat in his hand.

He turned on the light, bracing himself, and came to a dead stop when he saw not a burglar, but Maddie. She was crouched next to the open window behind the couch, picking up a lamp that had fallen off the end table when she had presumably crawled through it to get back into the house.

He raised his eyebrows as her guilty eyes met his.

_Busted._

"Hey," Maddie said in a near whisper, rising to her feet and quietly placing the lamp back in its place.

"Rearranging some furniture?" Deacon asked dryly, trying not to laugh.

She stayed silent, and he had to appreciate that she wasn't attempting to save herself by making up some bullshit story.

Deacon walked past Maddie and pushed the window shut. He twisted the lock and then he turned to face her.

"I'm assumin' if you're sneakin' back in the house, you were sneakin' out a few hours ago. Now why would you be doin' that?"

Maddie shrugged and hung her head shamefully. "A couple of my friends were going to a midnight showing of that new movie downtown. My curfew is earlier than everyone else's. I guess I just didn't want them to think I was a baby."

They had been lucky with Maddie. As far as teenagers went, she was a good kid. Aside from her constant nagging them to allow her to perform professionally, she helped out at home, was good to her little sister, did well in school and never gave them a reason to be anything but proud of her.

He took a deep breath and studied her for a moment. "Next time you want to do something like that, you ask us and we'll see if we can work something out. You don't sneak out of the house. You got me darlin'?"

"Yes," Maddie whispered in agreement, raising her eyes to meet Deacon's, trying to gauge what was going to happen next. "Are you gonna tell mom?" she asked, a desperate, pleading look on her face.

Going from being Uncle Deacon to being Maddie's father had been awkward at times especially since he and Rayna had gotten married and he was at home with her every single day. Doing the less-fun stuff like discipline was uncomfortable at first, but he was finally getting to a point where he felt she respected his authority as much as she did Rayna's and Teddy's.

Rayna was an amazing mother, but she did have a tendency to overreact. Judging from Maddie's scared, remorseful face, getting caught and thinking she was in trouble was punishment enough this time.

"One 'Get Out of Jail Free' card, Maddie." He put his finger up for emphasis. "One. I'll tell your mama you were down here watching TV because you couldn't sleep. But this is the only time I'm ever going to cover for you. Next time you won't have to worry about having an earlier curfew than everyone else because you won't be leavin' the house at all."

"I swear, it'll never happen again," Maddie promised, lunging forward to hug him. He held her close for a moment before stepping back and holding her at arm's length. "Now get on upstairs before your mama comes down here and sees you fully dressed instead of in your pajamas."

Maddie nodded. She hurriedly picked her purse up off the floor and took off toward the hallway. Suddenly she stopped, turning around and giving him that big smile he loved so much.

"Thanks Dad."


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks so much to KarenES for the beta read! _

_**FATHER'S DAY**_

Father's Day had never meant a damn thing to Deacon, except to serve as a reminder to avoid attendance at any AA meetings on that particular holiday.

He'd made the mistake of ending up at one the third Sunday in June many years back, and it had been an incredibly depressing experience; a church basement full of drunks bemoaning how their addictions had cost them relationships with their kids and telling sob stories about their own deadbeat dads. While he could certainly identify with having a less-than-stellar paternal figure, the ugly memories of growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father were moments he preferred not to revisit.

Even after Deacon found out about his daughter and his relationship with Maddie started to evolve into something undeniably more than just a fun "uncle," the thought of being celebrated on that day had never crossed his mind.

Maddie, however, surprised him.

When the first Father's Day after they'd found out the truth rolled around, she insisted that she wanted to move her usual Saturday afternoon guitar lesson to Sunday so she could spend time with both her dads. Deacon assumed Teddy had probably thrown a fit when he heard Maddie's request - to Rayna at least - but sure enough, at eleven o'clock sharp that Sunday morning, he heard a knock at his front door and there stood Maddie, clutching her guitar case.

While she was getting set up in the living room, Deacon went to grab them something to drink, and when he returned, Maddie was waiting for him, a brightly wrapped package in her hand. He put down the two glasses of sweet tea he was holding and walked over to her.

"For you," she said timidly as he approached, extending the gift to him. "Happy Father's Day."

Deacon's face broke out into a surprised smile as he took the present into his hands. He glanced down, eying the small square card taped to the blue wrapping paper, and then back up at Maddie.

"This is real sweet of you darlin', but you know you didn't have to get me anythin'. Just bein' here with you is enough for me."

"It's not a real gift I bought in a store, just something I thought you might want to have," Maddie explained. She gestured at the package with a nervous grin. "Open it."

He grinned back at her, carefully pulling the card out of the envelope, but was quickly blinking back tears once he read what Maddie had written to him.

_Dear Deacon, _

_I know it hasn't been very long, but I couldn't be prouder and happier to call you my dad. _

_Love Maddie._

Controlling the emotion he felt stirring inside of him didn't get any easier once he ripped open the gift and saw what it was: A double photo frame that held two pictures of him and his daughter.

The one on the right side couldn't have been more than a couple months old. It was a candid shot, the two of them sitting side by side with their guitars, wide, unreserved smiles on their faces. He racked his brain to remember when it could have been taken, vaguely recalling Maddie asking Scarlett to snap some photos during one of their lessons a few weeks back. He hadn't thought anything of it, assuming she just wanted pictures of herself playing the guitar to post on one of those social media sites - something he'd recently learned was a thing teenage girls did obsessively these days.

The heartache and struggle Deacon suffered throughout his life made his happy memories stand out all the more: Purchasing his first acoustic guitar as a teenager, the gig he played in a dive bar three days after arriving in Nashville back in the 80's, walking into the massive arena of his first major tour, or the night he made love to Rayna after over thirteen years apart. While all of those moments were monumental in his personal history, the recent afternoons he had spent with Maddie writing songs and playing music in his living room had quickly gone right to the top of that list. Having a photo to document the single best part of his life meant more to Deacon than Maddie would ever know.

The picture on the left side of the frame, however, was what really got him choked up. Maddie, who couldn't have been more than two years old, was sitting on his lap in the bunk of one of Rayna's tour buses. Her chubby little fingers curiously explored the strings of the guitar he was holding in one of his hands as he smiled down at her adoringly.

He recognized it immediately as being from Rayna's first tour after Maddie was born.

Things were still very tentative between him and Rayna at that point, but there was a definite sense of relief that they were back in each others' lives, and they had slowly begun to make peace with their new relationship.

When they discussed the possibility of Deacon rejoining her band after his long hiatus, in an attempt to be sensitive to Deacon's feelings, Rayna had informed him she'd be bringing her baby daughter on the road.

Even though he wasn't sure how he'd feel about being around Maddie, whose existence up until that point had just been a painful reminder of the life he should have had with Rayna, he'd agreed anyway.

Unexpectedly though, it was that little girl who ended up being the biggest spirit-lifter on some of the toughest days of his sobriety.

He remembered being surprised by how comfortable she was with him, and even more so, how comfortable he was with her, especially given his lack of experience with young children. Maddie, who tended to be shy around most people, excluding Rayna or her nanny, would happily be held and entertained by Deacon, and he loved spending time with her.

Maddie watched Deacon as he continued to stare at the photo, his eyes transfixed, running his finger along the glass of the frame. She hoped she hadn't upset him or brought back painful memories with the older picture of the two of them.

"I asked Mom if she had any pictures of us from when I was little and she found a few," Maddie told him, breaking the silence. "That one was my favorite. Do you like it?"

Deacon took in a shaky breath and slowly exhaled. He pulled Maddie in for a hug, still gripping the frame in his hand.

"I love it," he said quietly into her hair, squeezing her extra tight. He held on for a long moment before stepping back and looking at her - _his daughter_, and wiped a stray tear from his cheek. "It's the best gift anyone has ever given me."

{***}

It was a year later, and while things were a bit different than they had been the previous June, Deacon still wasn't expecting any celebration or fanfare on Father's Day. Teddy had the girls for the coming week, so Rayna was dropping them off at his house in the early afternoon and they'd be spending the day with him.

Frankly, that didn't bother Deacon at all.

Now that he and Rayna had gotten married, he got to live in the same house as his daughter, and that luxury far outweighed any one single day he could spend with her.

He finally had the opportunity to do the little things on a regular basis. Things like having breakfast with her in the morning before school, sitting in the living room and playing guitar with her after dinner, or sticking his head into her room before bed to say goodnight. He cherished those moments, especially since he'd missed so much of Maddie's young life.

When Deacon stirred awake on the lazy Sunday morning of Father's Day, he felt the cold, empty space on the mattress next to him before he even opened his eyes.

He was an early riser, always had been, save for his days of brutal hangovers and "sleeping one off." Rayna not so much, unless she had something to do or somewhere to be. It was rare that Deacon woke up and didn't see a mass of red curls trailed across his chest or feel the warmth of her body pressed up against him; warmth that was usually necessary due to her propensity to steal the covers.

Deacon climbed out of bed and quickly pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, noting to himself how quiet the house seemed, a rarity on a weekend when the girls were around.

"Anyone home?" he called out, wandering out of the master bedroom. As he jogged down the stairs, his question was answered by the sound of Daphne's familiar high-pitched squeal and the frantic pitter-patter of bare feet.

When he got to the bottom of the staircase, he was met by the tiny blonde, standing there in her pajamas, hands on hips and determined not to let him take one step further.

"What's goin' on, darlin'?" Deacon asked with a smirk.

"Maddie and Mom are making you breakfast in bed. I'm supposed to keep you out of there so you don't ruin the surprise," Daphne explained innocently, not realizing she was doing exactly that.

"Not a surprise anymore, stupid," Maddie yelled loudly, her voice traveling from the kitchen.

Rayna's came next. "Maddie!" she scolded.

Deacon stifled a laugh and bent down so he was eye-level with Daphne. He sniffed the air, pungent with the smell of coffee and various breakfast items cooking.

"Is there bacon?" he asked, lowering his voice to a whisper.

Daphne giggled. "I can't tell you that!"

A moment later, Rayna rounded the corner and Deacon couldn't help but grin at the sight of her. Her hair was wild and messy, still tousled from sleep, her white silk robe untied, exposing one of his faded Bluebird Cafe t-shirts and a pair of lacy black pajama shorts. He'd seen her at her most glamorous; in countless skin-tight sequined dresses and evening gowns, her hair and makeup painstakingly done by an expert glam squad, but this was always how he liked her best.

"Can you go help your sister finish up, sweet girl?" Rayna asked, squeezing her youngest daughter's shoulders and giving her a wink.

Daphne nodded enthusiastically, eliciting a chuckle out of both Deacon and Rayna when she dashed back off toward the kitchen as if she was competing in a race, her blonde ponytail flying out behind her.

With Daphne out of sight, Rayna turned and focused her attention on Deacon.

"And you..." she drawled, placing her hands on his hips and tugging him toward her. "You go upstairs, get in the bed and stay there til' further notice."

Rayna planted a lingering kiss on his lips and pulled back slightly, flashing him the seductive smile that could convince him to do literally anything.

Deacon leaned back in and brushed his lips against hers. "I'm not gonna argue with that," he murmured, slipping his tongue into her mouth, almost forgetting the girls were in the next room until the jarring sound of a metal bowl crashing to the ground brought him back to reality.

Rayna sighed and pulled away reluctantly. "I better go supervise before our house goes up in flames," she said, laughing softly and starting back toward the kitchen. "You go on. We'll be up there in a little bit."

Deacon went back up to the bedroom and settled himself on top of the covers of the unmade bed. He grabbed the book he was reading off the nightstand and cracked it open: _Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash_.He'd already devoured almost every single book ever written about the man in black, someone he both identified with and idolized, but had also always been fascinated by the enduring love between Johnny Cash and June Carter. Probably because he saw a lot of himself and Rayna in their story.

He was a few pages into the chapter he was reading when he heard the sound of excited chatter coming from the doorway. He looked up to see Rayna carrying in a tray full of food with Daphne right beside her cautiously gripping a mug of steaming coffee with two hands. Maddie trailed behind them holding a big black leather guitar case with a shiny red bow on it.

"Happy Father's Day," they all chorused, approaching the bed.

"Y'all shouldn't have gone to all this trouble, but this looks damn good," Deacon said appreciatively, smiling as he eyed the spread of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon and fresh fruit.

"We even made you coffee!" Daphne announced, hoisting up the mug she was holding, causing some liquid to spill over the top and land right on Deacon's sweatpants.

"Oops!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Sorry Deacon!"

"That's all right darlin'." Deacon laughed, grabbing a napkin off the breakfast tray Rayna had put down on the bed and dabbing the fabric with it. Rayna gently lifted the coffee cup from Daphne's hands and placed it on the nightstand.

"This is from all of us," Maddie said proudly, holding up the guitar case.

Deacon looked at her curiously, and then at Rayna, his eyebrow quirked.

"I thought you said I was banned from bringing any more guitars into this house for the foreseeable future."

"Well, we wanted you to know how special you are to us and this is a special guitar," Rayna replied. She tilted her head in Maddie's direction. "This one talked me into it."

Maddie handed the case over and Deacon positioned it in his lap, popping it open. His eyes bulged when he saw what was nestled inside the red velvet lining.

"Seriously? A Martin D-28?"

Rayna nodded, a smile creeping over her face as Deacon lifted it out of the case and began to admire it. "Not just a Martin D-28, but the very one owned by Hank Williams."

"No," he whispered in disbelief, looking down at the instrument in wonder. "But...how did you even...?"

Rayna sat down on the bed, still smiling, recalling the fierce negotiation she'd had with the collector she bought it from only days earlier. "Don't worry about that," she said. "Just write us some hits with it, okay?"

"Well I don't know what I did to deserve all this but I sure am grateful. Thank y'all for this amazing gift," Deacon said sincerely, his eyes glistening.

"You're gonna let me play it right?" Maddie asked eagerly, looking at Deacon with hopeful eyes.

Rayna chuckled. "Maybe under special adult supervision. That guitar is worth more than your college education, sweetheart."

Of course, Maddie had her hands on it five minutes later, strumming a song she'd recently written, with Daphne chiming in on harmony. Deacon looked on proudly, sipping his coffee as Rayna stole bites of food off his plate. For all the pain, tragedy and struggle he'd had in his life, he'd somehow landed here, and he felt like the luckiest damn man alive.

Later, when Rayna returned from dropping Maddie and Daphne off at Teddy's, she found Deacon in the same exact spot where she'd left him. He was sitting on the bed and holding the guitar in his arms as if it were a newborn baby.

She shook her head at him. "You haven't moved, have you?"

He looked up at her and grinned. "Are you jealous, darlin'? That I'm cuddlin' with the guitar instead of you?"

She laughed. "Maybe a little."

"I was, uh, thinkin'," he said, strumming some random chords, "that maybe we could take this fine instrument for a test drive. Write somethin' together?"

Rayna kicked off her flats and walked over, sitting down next to him on the bed. She leaned over and kissed him. "I like the sound of that. I'll get my notebook and meet you in the music room?"

"That's not quite what I had in mind," he said, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. He looked down at the bed and then back up at her. "I was thinkin' maybe we could get inspired in here."


	3. Chapter 3

"You're hypocrites!"

The cutting words were directed at both her parents, but Maddie's steely glare was pointed right at Rayna's face.

"I'm sorry you feel that way sweetheart," Rayna said calmly, as she dragged a damp dishtowel across the granite of the kitchen island, "but screaming at us isn't going to change the answer."

In a matter of seconds, Maddie's raging anger switched over to tears. Her ability to transition from one emotion to the other in record time was a talent all teenage girls seemed to possess. It was impressive, really.

"It's not fair," she wailed, swiping the trail of black mascara dripping down her face with the back of her hand, "you were both playing gigs when you were teenagers. Why can't I?"

Rayna sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. She set down the dishtowel she was using to clean the kitchen counter and placed her hands on her hips. She stared at her emotionally distressed daughter, silently cursing whomever had archived old footage of their gigs and put them on YouTube - and really - the existence of the Internet in general.

As much as Deacon and Rayna wanted to avoid allowing their daughter to break into the business until she was at least done with high school, her talent - made public with the infamous "Maddie Claybourne" YouTube video and a few random occasions they'd allowed her to perform on stage with them - had club owners, label heads and producers desperately trying to get their hands on her. There was no doubt that she was incredibly talented, but Rayna knew that at least some of the attention Maddie was getting had to do with the scandalous aspect of her parentage. Even though the worst of the gossip had long since been diffused, that didn't mean the fascination with their private lives would ever really go away. It made her sick to think that her child was at risk of being exploited just to drum up business.

The club-bookers were particularly sneaky, many of them reaching out to Maddie directly despite her underage status. Someone from the 5 Spot had offered her a paying gig for this Friday night to play their eight o'clock slot and Rayna and Deacon were apparently ruining her life by not permitting her to do it.

"Maddie," Rayna tried softly, "we're not saying you can't be a performer. We just want you to take it slow, that's all. And yeah, maybe we started young, but we also didn't have parents lookin' out for us like you do. We don't want you playin' some club that you're not even old enough to get into..."

"Stop trying to shelter me!" Maddie yelled back, choking on a sob and crossing her arms defiantly. "You were out playing honky tonks all over Nashville when you were my age."

Desperate for a little parental solidarity, even if it was just moral support in the form of some eye contact, Rayna looked over at Deacon, who was sitting on a stool at the counter quietly eating a bowl of cereal. His eyes were shifted down at the newspaper, but she knew better. He wasn't really reading. He was terrified.

Rayna turned her gaze back toward Maddie, who was furiously grabbing her belongings off the kitchen table and shoving them into her bookbag. She walked over to her daughter and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Honey, listen..."

Maddie shrugged off Rayna's arm and whirled around to face her.

"Stop treating me like a baby," she snapped, wiping her tear-stained cheeks once again and narrowing her eyes. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know that, honey."

"I try to be honest with you guys and it doesn't get me anywhere. Maybe next time I won't just won't tell you the truth. I'm sorry both of you had screwed up childhoods but that doesn't mean I should have to live in some bubble.""

Rayna raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

Maddie didn't respond, only reached for her bag and slung it over her shoulder as the sharp sound of a horn honking echoed from the curb outside. She gave Rayna one final icy glare.

"My ride is here," she said curtly, starting for the door.

"Maddie," Rayna responded sternly, "we're not done talkin'. Don't you walk out of here..."

She glanced behind herself quickly, an attempt to signal she needed some backup from Deacon, but the stool where he had been sitting was empty and his bowl and newspaper were gone.

When Rayna turned back around, the door was already slamming shut.

She groaned, sinking into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and putting her head in her hands.

"Lord help me," she muttered.

{***}

After Rayna returned from dropping Daphne off at school, she found Deacon in their music room. He was sitting at the piano, humming a tune and making a note on a set of charts he had in his hand.

"Hey," she said breezily, waltzing through the doorway, a slight note of annoyance in her voice.

His ears perked up immediately, recognizing that her tone wasn't quite right.

Deacon swung his legs around the bench, setting down the sheets and turned to face her. "Hey darlin'. You okay?"

She chuckled sarcastically, and raised an eyebrow, plopping down on the plush gray sofa across from the piano.

"You serious?"

"What?" He looked at her innocently.

"That display in our kitchen no less than 30 minutes ago? Maddie? Our daughter? Having a meltdown over her evil, controlling parents ruining her life and her potential music career? Ring a bell?" She paused and tapped her finger to her head. "Oh wait...you wouldn't remember because you conveniently exited the room as soon as she started screaming like a banshee."

Deacon sighed heavily. "Come on, Ray..."

"The entire time she was carrying on you wouldn't even make eye contact with me. And then, not a minute later, I turn around and you're gone. Is this how it's going to be?"

"How what's going to be?" He looked at her, puzzled.

"You're just going to sneak away every time she comes into a room and starts raining her teenage terror all over the place?"

Deacon laughed.

Rayna glared at him. "Deacon, it's not funny."

His smile faded and he looked at her guiltily. "Look, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not used to dealin' with this teenage girl stuff, and I feel like it's easier to step back and let you handle it."

"Well you better get un-used to it because I'm not going to be the bad guy by myself."

"What do you want me to do, Ray?"

"Talk to her."

Deacon drew in a deep breath and passed his hand over his face as he slowly exhaled, trying to choose his words wisely.

"I'm thinkin'...maybe we should let her play that gig."

Rayna's eyes widened. "Are you kiddin' me? Maybe you didn't hear me when I said I didn't want to have to be the one who..."

"Hear me out," Deacon interrupted. He paused, pushing himself up off the piano bench and sitting down next to Rayna on the sofa.

"I don't think we should just let her go off and do it alone," he said, looking into her worried eyes. "There would be conditions. Like at least one of us would have to be there. I might not know a whole lot 'bout parenting, but if we keep sayin' no, she's just gonna to continue pushin' back on us or eventually lie to us and get herself into trouble. I don't see the harm in lettin' her play a few gigs here and there. As long as we're around to make sure it's all good."

"I'm just scared..." Rayna trailed off, a vulnerable expression on her face. She knew he was right, but the thought of unleashing Maddie into a world that could be so wonderful, but also so harsh, was terrifying. "She's my baby Deacon, and I just want to protect her."

He leaned over and kissed her lips. "That's right. She _is_ yours. And she's bound and determined just like you were at her age. So the way I see it, she's going to do this with us or without us. Personally, I'd rather it be with us."

{***}

Maddie slammed her locker door shut and pulled her vibrating iPhone out of the pocket of her cardigan. There was a message from Deacon, telling her not to make plans after school and that he'd be there to pick her up.

She groaned inwardly, assuming that she'd be brought home and immediately grounded for her behavior that morning. While Deacon wasn't usually the one who doled out the punishment, he was careful to always stand in silent agreement with her mother when it came to discipline.

When Maddie walked out the double doors of the school building that afternoon, she spotted Deacon's truck parked right outside, windows down and Johnny Cash blaring from the stereo.

"Hey," she said, cautiously approaching the passenger side of the truck.

Deacon smiled at her and lowered the radio. "Hey darlin'. Get in!"

Maddie climbed into the truck and buckled her seatbelt. She looked down at her lap, unable to meet her father's eyes. "So I guess I'm grounded, right?"

"Not exactly," he said, turning the radio back up slightly and pulling away from the curb. "You and I are gonna have a little talk though."

When Deacon stopped by the entrance to Granny White Park a few minutes later, Maddie peered at him curiously for an explanation, but all he did was jump out of the truck and beckon for her to do the same.

He helped her hop the stone wall and led her to a picnic table. They sat side-by-side for a minute in silence before Deacon finally found the courage to talk.

"I know I haven't been your daddy for very long," he said, "but I will tell you this. I don't like you talkin' to your mama like that. Or to me. We love you and we just want what's best for you. We ain't tryin' to ruin your life just for the hell of it."

Maddie's eyes filled up with tears and her bottom lip began to quiver. "I'm sorry," she replied quietly. "I just thought you guys would understand why I want to perform so bad."

Deacon reached out and tipped her chin up gently, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "We do understand," he said softly, "which is why your mama and I decided that we're gonna to let you do that gig."

Maddie's eyes lit up with surprise, but before she could respond, Deacon continued on. "But there are going to be rules," he told her, "and if you don't follow every last of one of em', it ain't gonna happen at all."

Maddie nodded her head emphatically in agreement. "I will. I promise. Anything!"

Deacon chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Don't you want to hear 'em first?"

She grinned. "Okay."

"Well for one, you ain't performin' at a club without me or your mama there. Or if you're really lucky, both of us. Also, just because we're lettin' you do this one gig, doesn't mean it's gonna become a regular thing. Any future opportunities you might be offered will involve a discussion among all your parents that doesn't involve you yellin' at us. And most importantly, school comes first. If your grades start slippin'..."

Before Deacon could finish his sentence, Maddie lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He laughed and returned her embrace, lingering for a moment before releasing her and speaking his final request.

"One last thing. I want you to apologize to your mama."

{***}

Deacon strummed the final chords of the last song in his set and looked out at the crowd with a broad smile as they cheered and whistled loudly in appreciation. As the applause began to die down, he glanced to the side of the stage where Maddie was standing nervously clutching her guitar, and gave his daughter an encouraging wink before turning his attention back to the audience.

"Thank y'all! I appreciate that," he said, adjusting the microphone and clearing his throat as the room grew quiet once again. "Before I get off this stage and let y'all enjoy some more great music, I wanted to introduce our next performer. It's her first time ever playin' at the Bluebird, which is a huge honor and rite of passage for any artist, so I'm glad to be a part of it, but it's extra special for me because she's my daughter." Deacon grinned at Rayna, who was sitting at a table right in front of the stage. "Don't hold that against her though," he joked with a smirk as the crowded chuckled in response. "She mostly takes after her mama. But as you'll see, her talent is all her own. Give it up for Miss Maddie Conrad."

Deacon rose from his chair as the sound of loud applause erupted from the crowd and gave Maddie a quick hug when she joined him on the stage. As she got settled, he stepped down and took a seat next to his wife, grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers tightly through hers.

It had been a little over six months since they'd let Maddie play that first gig at the 5 Spot, and as she respected the ground rules her parents had set, they began to feel more comfortable allowing her to perform sporadically around town. When the chance arose for her to play at the Bluebird, Deacon had never been more proud and excited for his daughter. It was a special place to him for many reasons and there was something about watching Maddie perform there with Rayna at his side that made him feel like their lives together had really come full circle.

Rayna and Deacon locked eyes and beamed at each other as Maddie confidently introduced herself and launched into her first song.

As their daughter's strong, high voice filled the room - clearly captivating the audience - despite all their hesitation, their caution and their fears, there was no denying it: This is what their girl was born to do.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN - Special thanks to KarenES for the beta read, headtrip parade for encouraging me to explore Maddie's teen terror side a bit and to everyone who has left lovely feedback on all these little stories!  
><em>**

_**Like last hiatus, a few of us decided it would be fun to organize a fic challenge for the month of June. If you're interested in participating (the more the merrier!) please PM me and I will send you the theme and challenge guidelines. Would love to have as many people as possible participate so don't hesitate to reach out :) **  
><em>


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